Related Federal Cases
- Robert M. Ritchea, Pill Mill Scheme, AL 2017 · Georgia
- Five Indicted in Prescription Drug Conspiracy, Alabama 2013 · Washington
- Woodie Louis Ochle, MDMA Conspiracy, Alabama 2016 · Georgia
- Elbert Eugene Shinholster, Food Stamp Fraud and Money Laundering, G… · Georgia
- Christine Rahl, Healthcare Fraud and Money Laundering, Social Circl… · Maryland
Pill Mill Doctor Pleads Guilty in Alabama
Montgomery, Ala. – Dr. Robert M. Ritchea, 54, of LaGrange, Georgia, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully distribute a controlled substance through the operation of a pill mill and money laundering, announced United States Attorney George L. Beck, Jr.
A pill mill is a medical clinic created to dispense controlled substances inappropriately, unlawfully, and for non-medical reasons. Dr. Ritchea operated a family medical practice in Phenix City, Alabama, where he wrote prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, and hydromorphone, knowing that his patients did not actually need the drugs prescribed.
Dr. Ritchea laundered the proceeds of his unlawful drug dealing by purchasing Schedule II pain medications—specifically, hydromorphone and hydrocodone—directly from a drug manufacturer. He then distributed the pills directly out of his medical practice.
According to court documents, many pharmacists in and around Phenix City refused to fill the illegitimate and unlawful prescriptions Dr. Ritchea wrote. As a result, Dr. Ritchea was forced to purchase the drugs directly from the manufacturer to keep his pill mill operational.
Chief United States District Judge W. Keith Watkins will sentence Dr. Ritchea in the coming months. At sentencing, Dr. Ritchea faces maximum sentences of 20 years in prison on each count, as well as substantial monetary penalties.
“Prescription drug abuse is a scourge on communities across this district, this state, and this country,” stated United States Attorney Beck. “The unnecessary use of prescription drugs is often the first step towards opiate-dependency, the loss of work, the severing of relationships, and, in all too many cases, death.
“Dr. Ritchea abandoned his professional liability and moral compass when he decided to promote substance abuse,” stated Special Agent in Charge Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Division. “Today’s guilty plea ensures that he will be held fully responsible for his contribution to the ongoing drug epidemic sweeping through communities.”
This case was investigated by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad; the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Division; the FBI; the Opelika Police Department; the Chambers County Drug Task Force; the Auburn Police Department; the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA); the Russell County Sheriff’s Office; the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office; the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners; and the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross and R. Rand Neeley are prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking